we got this! be good to one another!

This is going to be my last post-US election post.

(credit to the artist, if anyone knows who he is, let me know)

I have to remind you that I'm not really into politics even though I do know how they work since I studied them. I'm for the greater good. I stand for decency and love. I stand for people regardless of where they come from to have the right to breathe and exist and for EVIL people (you know, murderers, rapists, people who doxx others, domestic abusers, pedos, those who hurt animals etc...) to be PUNISHED.

But I do have my limits. I sadly had to depart with many people I thought were good people (French people especially), who were violent and wished death/ rape threats upon ethnicities, women (and men) and other religious groups. (including my own, Catholicism). I can't remain friends with people like that, people who are dead serious about that or take it lightly (rape isn't a joke). Man, I studied war crimes, genocides, old and new. I SAW where hatred can lead to. I come from a country which used to be a colony until 1960 and in some ways still is today. I experienced and witnessed despicable acts of racism on a daily basis when I lived there, perpetrated sometimes by beloved teachers we accidentally met at the grocery store. No.More of that shit!

After the shock and the worries [because unfortunately, it has impacted greatly in my country and nervosity is palatable even more now. I recall 2002 and 2012. Let's make sure we don't have it in 2017], I had the time to digest and think.

The first option was the easiest one, fall into despair. Hey, I'm suffering from mental illness, so trust me it was even more tempting to do. It beat me all Tuesday and Wednesday but I stopped right there, thanks to amazing people who gave me hope back and walked me through it in this time of need.

The second option is what I decided to go by. I finally slept through it and thought to myself what was the best thing to do. What I stood for and what I truly wanted. I always say and will always believe that we all think we're better than the rest of the world or people we know. We believe we're so righteous and so strong and we can't-do no wrong. But we can. We're weak like that. We're human like that. We are not perfect and can easily (oh so easily) fall into the pits of rage and hatred. I don't condone violence. it's not going to help. Yes, you're frustrated with the results. I am more concerned and worried about the zealots who could try to force their narrow-minded views on others. Not saying everyone is a zealot (of course not, come on!!!!!) but some are. But violence isn't going to help. It's only going to fuel violence and hatred and do more damage than good.

So what is left to do then?

I will continue as I always have before. I will still post silly memes, pictures, my sketches, more about my book! I will keep making art! Art saved my life literally and still does every freaking day. and I had a project I shared with you and it's still going on! I don't give up on this one.

I don't give up on pointing out what's wrong. Animal cruelty? Rapists, who walk away because "prison would be too hard on them"? Victim-blaming? (cause I have been. I surely should have just died when my ex-strangled me that very morning)? anti-pro-choice? anti-poverty/classist rhetoric? Xenophobia and racism? always against it! sexism? Ableism? anti-LGBTQ+? Injustice in general! I might simply post a status from time to time that tackles these topics or shares an article about a very terrible event (like NoDAPL going on) but in real life, be sure that I'm advocating for every one of these and debate and argue and call out when I see it happen. I will sit next to a woman who's been harassed by a shady guy to give her support. I would sit by a transgender kid who's being picked on by other kids on the subway. I'd always help a pregnant woman who fell on the pavement or an old person on the bus. I'd help as much as I can those around me who are not like me or who are like me.

But I will always keep sending love and positive vibes around. Because that's who I am, that's what I did before and that's what I'll still do. Every minute of me feeling good in a life where my mental illness drags me to the bottom of the pit every second, feeling good is a joy I want to share around. Feeling good is a victory and making sure I'm here for my friends when I can be there is also a priority.

I'm not giving up on this, so please don't give up on this as well.
Don't be an empty promise, keep fighting the good fight and ensure that everyone can exist and feel safe in this time and era. Make sure you don't turn a blind eye when someone is assaulted in front of you. make sure you spread love as well and you call out injustice when you see it. Compassion and empathy aren't dead, unlike what I thought a while ago. you can be beacons of Hope, so please be it.

we got this!